Inside France’s rugby heartland – BBC News
French rugby thrives only in the south-west of France, but Chris Bockman finds unease among fans that attempts to spread its appeal could put the famous French flair at risk. Fast moving storm clouds over the Bay of Biscay drench the pitch, washing

Lievremont readies France for Welsh ‘hell’ – France 24
(From left) French rugby national team’s winger Marc Andreu, fullback Clement Poitrenaud, scrum-half Frederic Michalak, fly-half francois Trinh-Duc, prop Nicolas Mas and flanker and captain Thierry Dusautoir run during a training session at the team

(HF) hotfile.com RBS Six Nations Rugby 2010 Italy vs Scotland HDTV XviD DVSKY – HotFile. (NL) netload.in RBS Six Nations Rugby 2010 Italy vs Scotland HDTV XviD DVSKY – NetLoad. (ST) storage.to RBS Six Nations Rugby 2010 Italy vs …

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For the first time in their history, Russia qualify for the Rugby World Cup Finals.

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Whales perform for 1st time since trainer’s death – Washington Post
The whale trainers received a standing ovation as they approached the platform before the show, part of the multimillion-dollar enterprise centered around “Shamu” – the stage name given to all the performing orcas. Several SeaWorld employees wept as

Burton’s new fantasy lands him in ‘Wonderland’ – Houma Courier
LOS ANGELES — Tim Burton, girlfriend Helena Bonham Carter and pal Johnny Depp are starting to look like wayfarers you might find somewhere along the Yellow Brick Road. Their latest journey into fantasy land takes them through the looking glass with

District May End N.C. Economic Diversity Program – New York Times
Don’t believe the hype, they warned. Many were considering private schools. All pointed to an unusual desegregation policy, begun in 2000, in which some children from wealthy neighborhoods were bused to schools in poorer areas, and vice versa, to

Recognizing What Historically Black Colleges and Universities Mean to – Whitehouse.gov (press release)
As I stood watching the Virginia State University drum-line perform in the White House this week (likely the first time an HBCU drum-line has ever perform ed at the White House), I was reminded of how far we have come as a nation and hopeful about

White Knuckles and Gold for U.S. Bobsled Team – New York Times
into a bobsled and reaching speeds of 95 miles an hour. With shoves and ducks, Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curtis Tomasevicz hopped behind Holcomb inside the Night Train, the sleek, black-plastered sled though, USA-1 knew it was the team

Sunderland 0 – 0 Fulham – ESPN Soccernet
Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer denied struggling Sunderland a first Premier League victory in 14 attempts to leave them hovering precariously above the drop zone following a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light. The Australia international kept out

U.S. claims first four-man gold medal since 1948 – CNN Sports Illustrated
USA-1 won the first gold medal for the U.S. in sliding’s signature race since Francis Tyler in 1948. WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) — With one more perfect run down sliding’s most treacherous track, Steven Holcomb drove USA-1 to the Olympic gold

Massive Search Underway for Missing California Honor Student – FOX News
Scores of volunteers searched a California lake on Sunday for signs of a missing teenager in what San Diego authorities called an unprecendeted response to a missing persons case. Chelsea King, a 17-year-old honor student at Poway High School in

U.S. wins first four-man gold since 1948 – ESPN.com
WHISTLER, British Columbia — Steve Holcomb never flinched. Not when tasked with ending a 62-year drought for the United States in sliding’s marquee race. Not when trying to navigate the world’s most treacherous track. And not when Germany’s Andre

Watch or wince – video on stage isn’t going away – Boston Globe
In Clifford Odets’s “Paradise Lost,’’ Ben Gordon is an unsuccessful former Olympic track star who remains, in his own mind, the “champ miler of the world.’’ The idea of getting into his mind intrigued Daniel Fish, who is directing the

Rugby fans prepare for Hong Kong Sevens – PR Inside
2010-02-22 08:08:47 – Hong Kong’s annual sevens rugby tournament attracts top teams from around the world. The 2010 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, one of the biggest annual sporting events in the region, is fast approaching. Founded

Canadian hospitality helped Americans in big medal haul – Times Colonist
The nicest American gold-medal winner you do not know a thing about will carry the Stars and Stripes into the closing ceremonies today. He is not the sexy choice to lead their 216-athlete parade home, because that surely would have been alpine cover

Rugby fans prepare for Hong Kong Sevens – AsiaRooms.com – PR Leap
( PRLEAP.COM ) AsiaRooms.com reports the 2010 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, one of the biggest annual sporting events in the region, is fast approaching. Founded in 1976, the rugby tournament is now considered to be the premier event

Rugby player nailed with first positive test for HGH – NBC Sports
Before any of you start submitting “this ain’t about football” comments regarding this item about a British rugby player, think again. Terry Newton is the first athlete to test positive for Human Growth Hormone, a huge step in a process that

Leicester Tigers agree deal for forward Thomas Waldrom – BBC Sport
The back-rower, a long-term Tigers target, is currently with Hawkes Bay and playing Super 14 rugby with Crusaders in his native New Zealand. Waldrom, 26, has also represented New Zealand Maori in the Churchill Cup and Pacific Nations Cup. Tigers head

French Sports Newspaper L’Equipe Features Cover Profile, Shirtless – Towleroad
French nationwide daily sports newspaper L’Equipe today features openly gay Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas with the headline “I’m proud of coming out.” L’Equipe ’s not a gay publication. It was, however, inclined to publish a big, beefcake pin-up of

France rugby coach readies side for Welsh ‘hell’ – Bangkok Post
Tournament leaders France continue their quest for a Six Nations grand slam away to Wales on Friday with coach Marc Lievremont warning his side to beware the “hell” of Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. France players pictured during a training session at

Win a rugby shirt signed by the Wales Six Nations team – courtesy of – Daily Mail
Following Wales’ thrilling last-gasp win over Scotland, Sportsmail has teamed up with Under Armour for a St David’s Day giveaway ahead of their Six Nations clash with France on February 26. As the Official Technical Partner of the Welsh Rugby

Gareth Edwards, a Welsh rugby hero – France 24
To take advantage of all the features on FRANCE24.COM , please click here to download the latest version of Flash Player. Ahead of each Six Nations weekend, FRANCE 24 anchor, and keen rugby player, Mark Owen, takes a look back at some of the key

Wales confident of making impact at 2013 World Cup – The Guardian
Mike Nicholas, the Welsh Rugby League president, believes his country will be well placed to compete strongly in the newly expanded 2013 World Cup, if, as expected, they are included in the competition automatically. Wales failed to qualify for the

Rugby-Scrumhalf Peel back to boost Wales against France – Reuters UK
LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Scrumhalf Dwayne Peel has been added to the Wales squad for Friday’s Six Nations game against France in Cardiff after proving his fitness in a club game for Sale, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said on Sunday. Peel, along with

Rugby fan blasted for Welsh jibe at policeman – This is Gloucestershire
A rugby fan accused of racially abusing a Welsh policeman after the England-Wales international last year has been bound over to keep the peace. At Gloucester Crown Court the prosecution dropped a charge of racially aggravated harassment against

RUGBY UNION – Daily Express
We have had a roller-coaster of emotions on and off the field, but international rugby is quite stressful and uncompromising and games come around That’s what the Welsh did when they came to us last year,” said France scrum-half Morgan Parra

Who should Wales pick against France? – BBC Sport
The remarkable last five minutes of the comeback win over Scotland, golf buggy-gate and an injury crisis it’s been quite a week in Welsh rugby. That remarkable sequence of events has hidden some very real problems that were emerging in coach

JD Sports and Under Armour give you the chance to meet Welsh Rugby – PRLog (free press release)
PR Log (Press Release) – Feb 26, 2010 – JD Sports, the King of Trainers and Under Armour, the US-based leader in performance apparel and footwear, have joined forces to offer JD Sports customers and Welsh Rugby fans an exclusive chance to meet

Tyrone Howe: Danny boy can become a man following switch to Australia – Belfast Telegraph
I wonder whether the name provided an extra incentive as he certainly seems to have become the enfant terrible of English rugby. However, as I suggested several weeks ago, this move may actually serve both Cipriani and English rugby well in the long

Danny Cipriani shows in flashes why England will miss him – The Guardian
For lengthy periods this was a sufficiently dour spectacle to make anyone want to emigrate, and three penalties from English rugby’s soon-to-be-exiled prince regent was all it took to hoist Wasps into the top four. Melbourne Rebel without a clue?

Rugby: Calder leaves Stew-Mel for pro contract bid in London – Edinburgh News
FORMER Scotland under-20 captain Lewis Calder is ready to follow his dream of a full-time professional rugby contract by leaving Stewart’s-Melville and joining London Scottish. Calder, son of 1984 grand slam hero, Jim, played his last match for Stew

RUGBY UNION: Danielli gets Scottish call – Oxfordshire News
Former Oxford University winger Simon Danielli has been called up by Scotland to replace the injured Thom Evans in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations rugby union clash against Italy in Rome. The 30-year-old, who will earn his 23rd cap, had mixed feelings about

Max Evans was millimetre from death or paralysis, reveals Scotland – Scotsman
SCOTTISH rugby internationalist Max Evans has said that his brother Thom – who was seriously injured in a match against Wales – should not play the sport again, even if he makes a full recovery. • How Evans came to grief on the field at the

Gabby Logan admits she went into meltdown after she was turned away – Daily Mail
She said her husband, former Scottish rugby international Kenny Logan, ‘cringes every time I remember another detail from the meltdown’. Even before the station contretemps, Mrs Logan had endured a difficult day. Elsewhere in the blog, Gabby, who

Scottish Rugby – scottishrugby.org/
Official site for the Scottish Rugby Union. Information, news, online shopping, and links to associated sites.

Mallett denies Celtic League revenge – France 24
We’ve got a lot of respect for Scottish rugby and what they’ve done over the last 10 years,” he said. “Obviously Italy would love to get into the Celtic League but the team has a lot of repsect and we wanted to win the game badly enough not to need

Latest Scottish News – Wigan Today
boost for thalidomide victims Victims of the thalidomide scandal are to be given extra help through a £3.4 million fund announced by the Scottish Government. Lions coach knighted by Queen Rugby legend Ian McGeechan was knighted by the Queen for

Injured Scotland star Thom Evans returns home – BBC Sport
the many, many messages of support from well-wishers inside and outside the rugby world who have taken the time to send me and my family their best wishes.” Ahuja, a spinal surgery consultant, commended the Scottish Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby

Rugby: Muir’s Scottish Hydro fate could rest on toss of a coin – Edinburgh News
BOROUGHMUIR and Kirkcaldy may end up having to toss a coin to determine who progresses if they cannot play their much-delayed Scottish Hydro knock out rugby cup preliminary tie within the next two days. After four postponements the teams are due to

Commonwealth Needs to Listen – Scoop
neighbor Fiji so that the Pacific nations, Fiji and we all can move forward peacefully, socially and economically” Alton Shameem JP, the Fijian leader and president said today in Takapuna, North Shore City, Auckland the City of Word Rugby Cup

Canada brings home two gold, one bronze in short track – Times Colonist
shout ‘Ohno,’ as in Apolo Anton of the United States, the man whose push on the tush of Francois-Louis Tremblay set in motion a chain of events that saved Canada’s back bacon at Pacific Coliseum. Thanks, eh. Tremblay crashed, so too did Korean

Rugby diplomacy brings hopes of thaw with Fiji – New Zealand Herald
The talks in late March will take place in Hong Kong during the annual two-day rugby sevens tournament which both Mr McCully and Fiji’s self-styled Along with other South Pacific and Commonwealth nations, New Zealand and Australia have been

Canada brings home two gold, one bronze in short track – Times Colonist
shout ‘Ohno,’ as in Apolo Anton of the United States, the man whose push on the tush of Francois-Louis Tremblay set in motion a chain of events that saved Canada’s back bacon at Pacific Coliseum. Thanks, eh. Tremblay crashed, so too did Korean

Leicester Tigers agree deal for forward Thomas Waldrom – BBC Sport
The back-rower, a long-term Tigers target, is currently with Hawkes Bay and playing Super 14 rugby with Crusaders in his native New Zealand. Waldrom, 26, has also represented New Zealand Maori in the Churchill Cup and Pacific Nations Cup. Tigers head

McCully, Bainimarama head to rugby summit – Stuff
Foreign Minister Murray McCully will meet Fiji’s military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama next month at the Hong Kong Sevens, the Fiji Sun reports. The newspaper, which is regarded as close to the regime, says Bainimarama and McCully will discuss New

Commonwealth Needs to Listen – Scoop
neighbor Fiji so that the Pacific nations, Fiji and we all can move forward peacefully, socially and economically” Alton Shameem JP, the Fijian leader and president said today in Takapuna, North Shore City, Auckland the City of Word Rugby Cup